


His Favorite T-Shirt

by AwildCAPRICORGIhasappeared



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Mostly Jackson’s POV, Season/Series 02 Spoilers, Stiles/Jackson endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 22:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30011889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwildCAPRICORGIhasappeared/pseuds/AwildCAPRICORGIhasappeared
Summary: Jackson and Stiles had once been childhood best friends. Life pushed them apart, and now strange occurrences are pushing them back together.Takes place during season 2 of Teen Wolf. Series finale spoilers.Inspired by “Favorite T-Shirt” by Jake Scott.
Relationships: Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Stiles Stilinski/Jackson Whittemore
Kudos: 55





	His Favorite T-Shirt

“Out of my way, loser!” Jackson shoved Scott roughly into the lockers, knocking textbooks to the ground for extra measure. Catching Stiles’ eye, he winked and strolled past. Stiles rolled his eyes and went to help his best bud. 

Once, Jackson had held that title. His dad was the district attorney, and spent a lot of time with Sheriff Stilinski reviewing cases. When the families got together for polite dinners or at town events, the two boys were often shoved together. Jackson would always start off stiff and proper, only speaking up at appropriate times during conversation. Stiles never had such compunctions and spoke about whatever was on his mind to whomever was closest. Since that person was often Jackson, or Jax as Stiles called him, he would soon loosen up as he listened to the rambling, teasing the other boy about his topics or rolling his eyes and snickering at all the right moments.

Jackson and his family tried to be there when Stiles’ mom got sick. Stiles would sometimes spend the night, but soon he was pushing everyone away, wanting to be home to take care of his mom. Even at school, Stiles would avoid talking to any of the other kids, preferring to nap during recess. Jackson could tell he wasn’t sleeping well, but whenever he tried to ask, Stiles would assure him he was okay.

When Claudia finally passed away, Stiles didn’t go back to normal. Jackson left him alone.

Jackson found out he was adopted about a year later. Hiding his sadness and confusion behind anger, he snapped at Stiles when the boy approached and tried to bring it up. As if they were still friends! (Even though Stiles was exactly who Jackson wanted to go to, but Stiles had abandoned him too.) Then Scott moved to town, and Stiles had a new best friend. 

~

Years later and the boys started highschool on opposite sides of the popularity spectrum. Jackson made varsity lacrosse as a freshman, even making first line. He asked out the prettiest girl in school, Lydia Martin, and they ruled as king and queen. Stiles, however, stuck diligently by Scott’s side. Unathletic, plagued by asthma, oblivious. Both tried out for lacrosse and made it as far as the bench.

Stiles, however, seemed to be back to his over-enthusiastic bubbly self. Jackson watched him ramble at Scott from across the cafeteria. Scott seemed to just tune out his so-called best friend, not even reacting when Stiles started cackling to himself.

As freshman year passed by, Jackson kept finding himself noticing Stiles. His honey brown eyes were always lit up, and even when older students mocked him and shoved him around, he wouldn’t keep his stupid mouth shut even for his own good.

Stiles took notice, too. He could feel eyes on the back of his head, but whenever he looked around, nobody was watching. But Jackson was always nearby. A couple of times, he would glance across the cafeteria and feel his face heat, or his lips twitch as if to smile, when he caught Jackson’s eyes. 

A rumor started that Stiles was crushing hard on Lydia, and Jackson did see Stiles looking towards them more often. Jackson decided to confront him. He got to school early, parking his Porsche in the spot where Stiles prefers to park his Jeep. When the baby blue machine careened into the parking lot, it pulled up short, then parked a few spaces down. Jackson and Stiles met in between the two cars.

“Stilinski, are you trying to steal my girl?”

“Lydia isn’t your property, Jax.” The nickname slipped out of Stiles’ mouth like a soothing melody, but Jackson didn’t want to hear it.

‘Whatever, do you have a crush on her or not?”

“A crush on Lydia Martin? No, I just appreciate a beautiful genius when I see one.” He smirked at Jackson, hitched his backpack over his shoulder, and casually strolled toward the school, leaving Jackson scowling after him.

Wait, genius? Was he talking about Lydia?

~

Sophomore year, Jackson took over as captain of the lacrosse team. Things started getting weird, with people dying, Scott making first line AND co-captain, and was that a monster or a mountain lion? Stiles always seemed to be in the middle of it. 

Stiles continued to crush on Lydia. Jackson could tell, because he was always saying hi to her in the halls and giving her compliments, and checking her out from across the cafeteria. He tried to glare whenever their eyes met across the room. Lydia pretended not to care, but Jackson knew she adored the attention. He wanted to hate Stiles for it, but really, a happy girlfriend makes for a happy life, or at least happier day at school.

He bullied Stiles anyways in retaliation. He mostly just mocked him verbally, calling him an idiot (both of them knowing how smart he really was) and interrupting his rants by telling him to shut up and that nobody wanted to listen to his shit (Jackson missed listening to that voice for hours), but he got physical with Scott. He didn’t see why Stiles stuck by the dumbass. McCall didn’t seem talented, he couldn’t keep up with Stiles’ brilliance, and had no sense of loyalty. As soon as Allison came to town, Scott only had eyes and time for her. Jackson enjoyed targeting the teen (for ditching his Stiles) knocking him around in the halls and on the lacrosse field. Stiles was always close by to support his so-called best friend, sometimes snarking back at Jackson, but never really trying to stop him. Sometimes Jackson thought Stiles’ lips even quirked up at his remarks, like he almost wanted to smirk back at him.

Once Jackson knew about werewolves, a whole new way to torture McCall arose. And hopefully, get the bite as well. Maybe then he could be involved in all the shenanigans Stiles was involved with.

~

Jackson was working out in the locker room, pushing himself to lift more weight, do more reps. And then his music stopped. And Derek was there. He was finally getting what he wanted, but damn did this guy terrify him!

They arrived at a burned up shell of a house out in the preserve, and Jackson’s growing nerves turned into a broiling pit of fear. They went inside, and then Derek was shifting, growing claws and fangs.

“Please don’t, I’ll shut up, I’ll never say another word, I’ll leave Scott alone! Please, you can’t do this!” He knew he was ugly crying, but he couldn’t control his tears. He didn’t want to die! “I don’t deserve this!”

“I think you do! Look around you! Wouldn’t there be someone here trying to save you? There's no one here! There's a reason no one cares that you drive an expensive car. No one cares that you have perfect hair. No one cares that you’re captain of the lacrosse team!”

Luckily, eing shot at by hunters saved him from being torn apart. Thinking back on the words later, he thought Stiles would have cared. Stiles would have tried to save him if he knew Jackson was there, that Derek had been threatening him. Right?

~

Jackson did like Allison, she was a sweet girl even if he knew now that her family hunted werewolves, the thing he wanted to become (he still needed to be better than McCall! He needed to be stronger than Derek, too), but he just couldn’t have fun at the formal with her. Especially not when he saw Lydia getting out of Stiles’ Jeep (it was a piece of crap, but Jackson knew it had been his mom’s and so he kept his mouth shut about it in front of Stiles) and jealousy flared up inside him. She looked fantastic in a strapless powder pink gown. And Stiles had somehow cleaned up really nicely and was wearing a black suit that actually accentuated his lean figure. The two looked good together, and Jackson was jealous.

He felt a pang of fear when Stiles ran out to find Lydia after shakily telling him about seeing the Alpha in the woods by the lacrosse field, but he had promised Mr. Argent he would send McCall out, so he trudged further into the dance to find the idiot.

When Jackson’s phone lit up with Stiles’ name, he felt…excited? For just a moment, and then his once friend yelled at him to help Lydia, that she had been hurt in the lacrosse field and that Stiles had to go, and Jackson could think of nothing else but getting to Lydia. Because Stiles had asked him to. If Stiles couldn’t be there for the girl he apparently loved, there was a damn good reason.

~

When Stiles showed up at the hospital to see Lydia, Jackson was relieved. Then he was awed by the other teen when he dared to stand up to Chris Argent, claiming that the man’s sister was the one who broke some code by setting a house on fire. 

And only minutes after, when Stiles went running past Lydia’s room towards the exit of the hospital, Jackson didn’t think to stay behind. He followed the boy outside, skidding to a stop beside the passenger door of his Porsche, yelling at Stiles and throwing him the keys.

Stiles directed Jackson to open his bag while he sped towards the Preserve, and Jackson pulled out two molotov cocktails. If Stiles had made them, Jackson knew they would work this time (also knowing he was the reason the last one didn’t).

As soon as Stiles pulled up outside the Hale house, werewolves and hunters already gathered around, Stiles didn’t hesitate to jump out of the car and launch a cocktail at the Alpha, who caught the damn thing. 

Allison shot it with an arrow (when did she learn that?!) and then Jackson threw the second bottle and the monster was covered in flames. Stiles looked unsurprised at the turn of events, his pale face flickering in the light of the blaze, no regrets on his face for setting someone on fire. Jackson took the whole scene in with shock, watching as the Alpha burned and Derek slashed his throat, finally declaring himself the new Alpha.

~

A few days later, Jackson went back to the Hale house looking for Derek. The place still freaked him out, but he was determined to get what he wanted. 

“I helped you.” He said when the leather-clad man appeared. “I helped save you. You got what you wanted. Now it's my turn to get what I want.”

The wolf launched himself down the stairs, and without a word tore apart Jackson’s shirt and sunk fangs into his side. Jackson screamed in shock and pain, stumbling out of the house and back to his car. He thought he would feel powerful, but he just felt sick and scared and alone.

~

The bite healed, but black gunk kept coming out of his nose, eyes, ears, everywhere, and he was freaking out. No way was he going back to Derek. Stiles… No. He wasn’t going to Stiles, either. He could figure this out on his own. Even though he kept snapping awake in weird places, like at school, where he was clearly already conscious and going through the day.

Jackson warned Lydia that she didn’t want him at her birthday party. He warned Danny to stay away from him and stay home after the lacrosse game. Something was happening to him, something very bad.

~

Stiles had had both the best and worst day, and unfortunately the day wasn’t even over. With all the werewolves doing wolfy things, and Jackson more kanima than human, he found himself attempting to actually play lacrosse on the actual field during an actual game. And somehow… he scored! He finally got his footing, his groove, and suddenly he had led the team to victory.

Then he got thrown into a basement, electrocuted trying to rescue Erica and Boyd, and then punched in the face a dozen times. His dad was happy when he got home, clearly he had been worried, and it was nice to know someone at least recognized he was missing. Lydia even showed up!

But not to check on him. No, she wanted to talk about Jackson. Who had apparently died on the field? Wait, Scott kept texting him… Ok, Jackson was not dead now?!

Bruised, heartbroken, but loyal to a fault, Stiles drove Lydia to the warehouse, and with her screaming in his ear about not telling her Jackson was a lizard monster earlier, he didn’t quite see the approaching wall. Luckily, he plowed right through and into the lizard man himself.

Lydia jumped right out, Stiles sliding out after her. He stayed back, using the Jeep as cover. The kanima paused when Lydia yelled Jackson’s name, and looked curiously at the key she handed him.

He tossed it away and screeched at her. Stiles leapt forward to shove her out of the way of the incoming claws. Claws that stopped just before hitting him.

Stiles froze, meeting the kanima’s eyes. They flashed back to Jackson’s eyes as he seemed to take in a deep breath, leaning towards Stiles chest.

“Jackson? Jax, it’s me. It’s Stiles. Yeah, this is your favorite shirt. You recognize your scent?” Stiles started hesitantly, quickly speeding up as he saw human awareness bloom in the other teen’s eyes. “I know, I shouldn't have stolen it from your bag, but it was the closest I could get to you. I missed you Jax, I miss my best friend.”

The kanima’s scales faded back as Jackson turned back into a human.

“Stiles?”

“Yeah, Jax. Are you ok?”

“Am I ok? What the hell happened to your face?” 

Stiles took a breath to reply, but was shoved aside as Derek and Peter (he was definitely dead last time Stiles checked!) slammed their claws into Jackson’s back and stomach. 

“No! Stop! Please, don’t…” Stiles broke off in a sob as Lydia shrieked nearby. As the wolves dropped him, Stiles pushed forward to catch him, bringing Jackson gently down to rest on his lap

“Jax, no, you can’t die. Stay with me!” Stiles gasped into the other’s neck, holding him close and running his fingers through sweaty hair. Stiles felt Derek and Peter moving away, and knew others, Scott and Isaac and probably some Argents, were all watching somewhere.

Stiles rested his head on Jackson’s chest, his sobs quieting as he tried to gulp in air instead.

Lydia whispered next to him, “Stiles, look.” He did so, eyes blurry, but blinked a few times to clear them when he saw Jackson’s hand twitch. Jackson’s clawed hand. He looked up and met Jackson’s eyes, shining electric blue then fading back to the color of a clear lake. Somehow, Jackson was alive again, and a werewolf this time around.

“I missed you, too, Sti,” Jackson leaned forward, hesitating just a second for Stiles to pull away, kissing him softly when he didn’t. “I”ll always come back to you. Well, when you ask nicely,” he smirked, pulling a soggy giggle out of the boy he loved, probably had loved for a very long time. 

They helped each other up, and Jackson pulled Stiles close, shared another chaste kiss with him before burying his face into the other’s neck and breathing in their mixed scents, helped along by Stiles wearing Jackson’s favorite t-shirt.


End file.
